This type of question tests a student's ability to infer the main idea or purpose of a passage or chapter. For example, these questions may begin with, "This passage mainly deals with ... " or, "The main idea of this passage is that ... ." Other variations of this question ask specific questions about the passage, such as, "The author is implying that global warming ... ." Inferential comprehension also asks students to interpret literary devices such as metaphor, simile or allegory. You can test inferential comprehension by asking what a specific phrase or symbolic element of the story means.
In an analysis question, you will be asking the student's to identify the structure of a passage and the choices the author makes to construct it. Essentially, you'll be asking the student to point out the exact literary devices used, the style and the voice or tone of the piece. An offshoot of an analysis question is to ask what the author's purpose and point of view are.
Questions dealing with literal comprehension are essentially testing students on their ability to compare and contrast elements of the story, such as timing in a series of events, similarities or differences between characters and settings. This may also involve direct questions relating to the outcomes of an event and its causes and effects.
Students who struggle with individual words will have a more difficult time with analysis and inferential comprehension questions. For example, structure questions by underlining certain words and giving multiple choice answers as to their meaning. Test the understanding of synonymous terms by framing a question in this way: "As used in the passage, (blank) refers to ... ."